1978 Alabama Senate election

1978 Alabama Senate election

November 8, 1978

All 35 seats in the Alabama State Senate
18 seats needed for a majority
  Majority party Minority party
 
Leader Joe Fine
(retired)
Party Democratic Republican
Leader since January 14, 1975
Leader's seat 2nd–Franklin
Last election 35 seats, 92.75% 0 seats, 3.03%
Seats before 34 0
Seats won 35 0
Seat change 1
Popular vote 126,341 55,814
Percentage 68.91% 30.44%

  Third party
 
Party Independent
Last election 0 seats, 1.09%
Seats before 1
Seats won 0
Seat change 1
Popular vote 1,183
Percentage 0.65%

District results
Democratic:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%      90–100%      Unopposed

President pro tempore before election

Joe Fine
Democratic

Elected President pro tempore

Finis St. John
Democratic

The 1978 Alabama Senate election took place on Tuesday, November 8, 1978, to elect 35 representatives to serve four-year terms in the Alabama Senate. While 35 districts were up for election, only 9 saw Republican opposition. Both of the state's Black senators, U. W. Clemon and J. Richmond Pearson, won re-election, with the newly elected Michael Figures joining their ranks.

Primary elections were held on September 5 with runoffs on September 26. This election used the same legislative map as was used in 1974, utilizing single-member districts.

Incumbent president pro tempore Joe Fine did not run for another term, instead opting for an attorney general campaign, which was unsuccessful. Finis St. John was unanimously elected president on January 9, 1979.